John H. Gibson (b. circa
1837 - d. 1888)
MSA SC 3520-4471
USCT Soldier, Talbot County, Maryland
Biography:
John H. Gibson experienced much throughout his life as he was born a slave and fought in the Civil War with the United States Colored Troops. According to the muster rolls, Gibson was born around 1837 as he was 26 years old when he was mustered in the army.1 Gibson was owned by one of the largest slave holders in the state, Colonel Edward Lloyd,2 who amassed large plantations within the county. The Lloyd family owned nearly 500 slaves3 and roughly half of the 15,000 total acres in the Miles River Neck area of Talbot County.4 The majority of Maryland slaveholders held lands that were considered farms, but Lloyd's were considered plantations.5
The Civil War had been under way for two years before slaves would get the chance to fight for their freedom. Abraham Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 calling for volunteers to join the Union cause.6 According to the Act of 1864, Chapter 15, Section 4, "to the owner of every negro slave who shall agree to the enlistment of his slave as above, the sum of one hundred dollars shall be paid when such owner shall file with the proper authority a good and valid deed of manumission."7 No record of Gibson's manumission has been found, but it's highly likely that he was manumitted.
Lloyd, like many slaveowners, may have viewed this as their final opportunity to receive compensation for the loss of their slaves as the institution of slavery was rapidly deteriorating. Not only were slaveowners entitled to compensation, but free blacks and slaves also counted towards the state quota,8 which meant many slaveowners could have protected their family members from having to join the war. John H. Gibson was credited to the Talbot County quota as being owned by Colonel Edward Lloyd.9 Lloyd received a payment of $100.00 on May 25, 1865 as compensation for the loss of his slave.10 Despite being compensated for the loss of his slaves, Colonel Lloyd was opposed to the idea of slaves fighting in the war.
Gibson enlisted in the army as a private in Company A of the 7th regiment in the USCT on September 23, 1863.11 While in the army, the 7th regiment experienced enemy fire with regularity as they were often used to "reinforce the center line of combat."12 The USCT regiments were willing and able to help win battles when they were called upon. The 7th regiment fought in at least 17 campaigns from 1864 to 1865.13 Some campaigns included Baldwin, Florida, White Point, South Carolina, Petersburg, Virginia, and Appomattox Court House in Virginia.14
By 1865, the war was over, but not for many of the soldiers. The 7th regiment was transferred to Indianola, Texas to serve as a garrison.15 The orders for Company A were to become the police while they were stationed at the Court House.16 Soon after, the troops were divided into units to serve in different parts of Texas. While in Indianola, the people were generally "hostile to the Black troops and were frequent complainers about the Negro Troops being in Indianola." 17 During his time in Texas, Gibson was promoted to corporal on March 26, 1866.18 After enduring the hostile environment and strict military discipline for 18 months, they were finally able to move out of Texas. It was October 13, 1866 when John H. Gibson earned his honorable discharge from the service.19
Gibson had two marriages during his life, but as of 1890, he had no children listed within the widow’s pension.20 The census of 1870 lists John Henry Gibson living with his wife Maria, and their two children, John H. and Harriet.21 According to several affidavits, his first marriage was to Maria Sampson who died while at Colonel Lloyd’s plantation around 1876.22 Margaret Glasgow mentions in an affidavit that John Gibson belonged to "old Col. Lloyd" while Maria Gibson belonged to "young Col. Lloyd."23 John Henry Gibson work as a "farm hand" on the Lloyd plantations.24 The census of 1880 lists John Gibson living in Talbot County with his son John, which was four years before his second marriage.25 His second marriage was to Fannie Gibson who stated in an affidavit that John did have ten children (all of which were dead except two sons, John and Charles who were living in Talbot County) with his previous wife, Maria Sampson.26
Fannie's maiden name was Glasgow27 and she had previously lived with Henry Bates, but was not legally married to him.28 However, according to Fannie's brother, Zachariah Glasgow, Fannie and Henry were married until he left her and went to Baltimore.29 Emmanuel Johnson confirmed the same story in his affidavit. Johnson stated that he was "present and saw them married" and "they never was divorced to my knowledge" after he left the area because of trouble at the mill he was working during that time.30 Fannie's other brother, William Glasgow, stated that "Bates was Fannie's first husband."31 Apparently, unbeknownst to Fannie, she was never legally married or divorced from Henry Bates.
Many affidavits were conducted to confirm whether or not a pension could be obtained by the widow. They were married in 1872,32 but after seven to ten years, he was charged with stealing at Tunis Mills in Talbot County.33 He then left her and never returned after the incident, but they did not seem to obtain a divorce based on various affidavits. This would have made her pension claim difficult as she married John Henry Gibson on September 17, 1884.34 They were married by W.W. Skewman of the A.M.E. Church.35
In an affidavit given by Fannie
Gibson, she states
that they lived together until he died on May 29, 1888 at Unionville in
Talbot County, which was about four miles from Easton.36 The
couple
had known one another for nearly ten years before they were married,
and
had no children together. After John Henry Gibson's
death,
Fannie then moved to Baltimore where she resided at 132737 and 151638 Shields
Avenue. Fannie began receiving $8.00 per month, which commenced on October 23, 1890 soon after the death of her husband.39
Fannie was dropped from the pension in 1907 because of "remarriage" and her last name became Richards.40 John Henry Gibson did not move to Baltimore after the war as he chose
to
continue residing in Talbot County, Maryland for the remainder of his
life.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. Ancestry.com. National Archives and Records Administration. U.S., Colored Troops Military Service Records, John H. Gibson. Company Descriptive Book. Page 442.
20. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (U.S. Colored Troops Pension File Collection) [MSA SC 4126] John H. Gibson, Box 13, Folder 236, Page 3, 4.
21. Ancestry.com. 1870. United States Federal Census. John H. Gibson. Easton, Talbot County, Maryland. District No. 1. Line 1-4. Page 55.22. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (U.S. Colored Troops Pension File Collection) John H. Gibson, Page 67.
23. Ibid., 70.
24. Ibid.
26. SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (U.S. Colored Troops Pension File Collection) John H. Gibson, Page 76.
27. Ibid., 7.
29. Ibid., 32.30. Ibid., 34.
31. Ibid., 35.
32. Ibid., 37.
33. Ibid., 36.
34. Ibid., 37.
35. Ibid., 35.
36. Ibid., 77.
37. Ibid., 30.
38. Ibid., 4.
39. Ibid.
40. Ibid., 51.
Written and Researched by Tanner Sparks, 2012.
Return
to John H. Gibson's Introductory Page
|
Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website!
|